
Pre Trip - Travel Tips | September 29, 2024
It feels like everyone’s got their sights set on Europe travel lately … and I can’t blame them! The search for “authenticity” in experiential travel has shown no signs of slowing, and culinary exploration continues to be a running theme.
As much as I love planning your trips, there’s still some prep to take care of pre-trip outside of the actual planning. Here are some travel hacks to make your trip more enjoyable.
Check the Time
… And I'm not just talking about time zones here. Pay attention to any big religious holidays and bank holidays, because things might be closed at certain times of day … or completely! So if your heart is set on going to a specific attraction, you’ll want to look up their days and hours of regular operations, as well as checking their annual closures.
Some attractions might even be seasonal, making it doubly important to consult their calendar before you pencil a trip into yours. For example, the northern lights are not visible during summer in Iceland and major French cities are known to partially shut down in August as residents head for the shores. And let's not forget about Italy's Jubilee Year in 2025! While this celebration is special for practicing Catholics, you may want to avoid the crowds.
Set a Flexible Pace
It’s natural to want to get the most mileage out of your long-haul flight. Everything is so close and accessible in Europe, especially when public transportation like high-speed trains are available to link you country to country! But don’t try to force too many stops into one trip. As tempting as it may be to do it all in one vacation, transitioning between stops takes at least half a day away from your time exploring on the ground.
Pro tip: day trips. Day trips can be easy if you want to take a break from your main stopping point. This also means less packing and moving and logistics. But if you can spend three to four days at minimum at each stop, then move freely about the EU!
Train to Travel
When we’re exploring abroad, with surprises and delights lying just around every city corner, the miles seem to just slip away. You don’t feel how many steps you’re getting in nor the challenge uneven terrain like cobblestone and inclines presents for your body until it’s too late – something is already sore or injured. And the last thing you want to do is miss out on your favorite attractions!
Start walking regularly ahead of the trip to prepare your body and hips for what a full day of walking can feel like. This way, you can build endurance and physical conditioning to withstand seeing the most where you are.
Get the Apps
Our Smart phones are our most important travel companions for many reasons, but having the right set of apps on them is the ultimate travel hack. Before you arrive at your destination, download Google Maps for the city/cities you’re visiting in case you don’t have service or are underground. To do so, just open the app, zoom into your city, and select the ‘Download’ option so you can use it without WiFi or data connections.
You’ll also want to scope out the public transportation and taxi or rideshare situation beforehand. They all work a little differently and some are going to be preferred over others, but don’t be intimidated.
To make sure your stuff continues to travel with you, keep your Tile, Airtag, or other locator or tracking apps active on your phone. Put the device(s) in your purse, wallet, and luggage so that if anything gets stolen, you can try to follow or track it right away and use it in a police report if needed.
Packing Right
There’s nothing so satisfying as finding everything fitting precisely into your luggage as you prepare to depart; it’s tempting to stuff your bags at home to the brim with “just in case” items. However, it’s a big mistake, as the shopping in Europe is practically irresistible. Plan to have extra room in your luggage for souvenirs and shopping, or pack a compact duffel bag. This way, you can readjust your belongings and your carry-on or personal bags to accommodate the cheese, wine, handbags, belts, jewelry, tchotchkes, and any other destination-specific buys you’ll inevitably connect with.
Tips on Tipping
While tips are a way of life here in the U.S. and declining to tip is a grievous offense, the opposite may be true of many countries and/or cities in Europe and most of Asia. In fact, it might be considered insulting to offer a gratuity in some places, like in Switzerland. That’s because many countries pride themselves on offering a living wage – if not an outright handsome one – for service workers. That’s why, before you go, you should do a quick online search about the tipping customs in the destinations you’re headed to.
Most restaurants will expect you to round up on your bill; it’s customary for servers to not return with change if it’s a matter of a few cents. Some restaurants include a service charge, which is the tip, and others don’t so make sure to review your bill prior so that you are making the right move if you’re in a city where tips might be appropriate.
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